Gaza fisherman shot by Israeli Navy

Israeli naval forces shot and wounded a Palestinian fisherman on Monday in waters off the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Nizar Aayesh, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, made a statement reporting that the Gazan man was wounded when Israeli Navy gunfire hit his boat. The wounded man was then taken to a hospital in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon.

“There was shooting towards a Palestinian fishing boat in the sea off northern Gaza. One fisherman was injured and the occupation’s navy took him to Barzilai hospital,” – Nizar Aayesh

Due to Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza, Palestinian boats are only permitted to fish withing waters up to 6 miles from the coast, in other words, the water where they can barely make a living.

After the cease fire agreement between Gaza and Israel after the 8 day conflict the fishing limit was extended just a bit.

“It was within the six nautical mile limit, but the Israeli vessels took the boat and whoever was on it and we are waiting for the fisherman to come back to know more details,” Aayesh said

The military confirmed the incident but insisted the boat was beyond the permitted fishing limit.“Earlier this morning during routine activity, soldiers from the Israeli navy identified a Palestinian vessel which deviated from the designated fishing area,” a spokesman said, indicating the boat had failed to respond to orders to stop.“The soldiers fired in order to halt the vessel,” he said, confirming that one Palestinian “was injured by shrapnel” and had been treated by soldiers before being transferred to an Israeli hospital.